Tracy Arm or Mendenhall Glacier?

I originally had a tour that I wanted to do to Tracy Arm and actually started booking my cruise around it. Things changed and we had to go at a different time and the Tracy Arm was not available. I researched and came up with a Glacier Canoe Paddle Trek to Mendenhall Glacier and have been pretty excited about it. Recently a Tracy Arm tour was added to our Juneau cruise excursions and now I am not sure which to do!

We will be kayaking and rafting at other places and may walk on other glaciers so Mendenhall is not our only opportunity.

Thoughts on Tracy Arm vs Mendenhall Glacier?

Tracy Arm.

I find Mendenhall underwhelming.

Totally agree- Tracy Arm all the way. I'd also highly, highly, highly recommend the add-on small-boat tour of Tracy Arm if it's available.

Tracy Arm, definitely. Much more to see than just glaciers.

Also, many cruises are not in port long enough to offer the Tracy Arm excursions, so you need to take advantage of it when offered. If / when you go back to Alaska the Tracy Arm trip may not be an option and you can always see Mendenhall then.

Here a a couple of photos from our Tracy Arm trip in May:

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Tracy Arm, definitely. Much more to see than just glaciers.

 

Also, many cruises are not in port long enough to offer the Tracy Arm excursions, so you need to take advantage of it when offered. If / when you go back to Alaska the Tracy Arm trip may not be an option and you can always see Mendenhall then.

 

Here a a couple of photos from our Tracy Arm trip in May:

 

 

 

 

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Your pictures are beautiful. I am still waiting for Celebrity to list the small boat shore excursion for our cruise next June. I am definitely booking that one.

Your pictures are absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for the quick responses. I just booked and I am so excited!

Your pictures are absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for the quick responses. I just booked and I am so excited!

I'm just wondering what cruise line you are using. I don't know why it's taking so long for Celebrity to list that excursion.

Tracy Arm is a very good experience although I’ve not done the Glacier Canoe Paddle Trek to Mendenhall Glacier so it’s difficult to compare. I wonder how many who have posted here have done both.

We’ve trekked on glaciers many times and the experience is incredible. Have not done glacier ice caves but, based on the photos I’ve seen, that would put it over the top and be our choice over Tracy Arm.

I wonder what the trend in this thread would be if the responses were from people who had done the Glacier Canoe Paddle Trek to Mendenhall Glacier but not Tracy Arm. Have to think it would be skewed the other direction.

Anybody done both Tracy Arm and the ice caves at Mendenhall Glacier that can compare?

@kscaf1: When is your cruise? Early in the season Tracy Arm will be ice congested from the big melt.

Also does your cruise include Glacier Bay?

Our cruise is Holland's Northbound Glacier Discovery from July 8-15. It does do Glacier Bay. Although our port excursions have been out for a few weeks, the Tracy Arm one was only added this past week. I am sure we would have loved Mendenhall Glacier with the canoes and trek but since Tracy Arm is available, I feel comfortable about going back to that as my port pick!

That Tracy Arm excursion is VERY popular and will be the first to sell out. Make your decision ASAP.

Since Glacier Bay will already be your glacier viewing opportunity, the urgency to see the lesser Sawyer is not as great.

That Tracy Arm excursion is VERY popular and will be the first to sell out. Make your decision ASAP.

 

 

Since Glacier Bay will already be your glacier viewing opportunity, the urgency to see the lesser Sawyer is not as great.

Thanks, I plan on booking as soon as it's available, should be soon.

We will be on the Celebrity Millennium in July which goes through Hubbard Glacier, not Glacier Bay. I am trying to book my excursion in Juneau as well but on my own, not through the cruise line. I was also looking at doing a Mendenhall Glacier Trek (full day tour & strenuous) vs a Helicopter tour and ice field walk (2 hours) and after reading this thread found a private tour operator that goes through Tracey Arm. I guess my question is, after going through Hubbard Glacier are we seeing the same thing doing the Tracy Arm tour? With either the trek or the helicopter ride we actually get to be on the glacier vs just watching from a boat. Any advice?

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We will be on the Celebrity Millennium in July which goes through Hubbard Glacier, not Glacier Bay. I am trying to book my excursion in Juneau as well but on my own, not through the cruise line. I was also looking at doing a Mendenhall Glacier Trek (full day tour & strenuous) vs a Helicopter tour and ice field walk (2 hours) and after reading this thread found a private tour operator that goes through Tracey Arm. I guess my question is, after going through Hubbard Glacier are we seeing the same thing doing the Tracy Arm tour? With either the trek or the helicopter ride we actually get to be on the glacier vs just watching from a boat. Any advice?

 

 

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AdventureBound Alaska is the company you want for Tracy Arm in Juneau. Your experience with Tracy Arm will be entirely different than see Hubbard via cruise ship.

Each experience will be different.

Totally agree- Tracy Arm all the way. I'd also highly, highly, highly recommend the add-on small-boat tour of Tracy Arm if it's available.

What is the small boat tour you refer to please Peety3. Do you have a link ? Thank you.

I am pleased to see this thread as I have the same dilemma. There may be the option to do both but there is also a whale watching tour we are interested in and I know we won't be able to do all three.

It would appear our cruise ship stops for half hour at Tracy Arm which I assume is to allow passengers to transfer to another boat for a visit to Sawyer Glacier. Someone has mentioned a "small boat" tour so I will be interested to find out about that. Someone else mentioned Glacier Bay and, without knowing, it did seem to me that the excursion to Sawyer would be similar to the cruise through Glacier Bay. Would that be a fair assumption or are they very different.

Does anyone know please what time the transportation for The Tracy Arm/Sawyer Glacier excursion arrives back in Juneau. We are hoping to do another tour on arrival or take a trip out to the Mendenhall Glacier. Interesting to read that some people were somewhat underwhelmed by Mendenhall.

Sorry one more question if I may. Fully accepting the fact that no one can predict when the ice may calve, is there any information on, on average, how often ice tends to calve. I am sure the time of the year makes all the difference (we are going late June) but it would be interesting whether calving tends to be a daily or weekly occurrence etc at that time of the year.

It would appear our cruise ship stops for half hour at Tracy Arm which I assume is to allow passengers to transfer to another boat for a visit to Sawyer Glacier. Someone has mentioned a "small boat" tour so I will be interested to find out about that. Someone else mentioned Glacier Bay and, without knowing, it did seem to me that the excursion to Sawyer would be similar to the cruise through Glacier Bay. Would that be a fair assumption or are they very different..

They are very different experiences.

Sorry one more question if I may. Fully accepting the fact that no one can predict when the ice may calve, is there any information on, on average, how often ice tends to calve. I am sure the time of the year makes all the difference (we are going late June) but it would be interesting whether calving tends to be a daily or weekly occurrence etc at that time of the year.

I have seen multiple calving on every trip to Glacier Bay.

Tracy Arm is a long fjord with steep sides with glaciers at the North and South arms at the end. It is very different from Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier. All 3 are definitely worth seeing, but unique in their own way.

I would recommend researching posts with photos here and on other websites to get an idea of the differences. Then you can make an informed decision on what you would like to see.

Also consider that the Tracy Arm trip is generally only an option on Northbound cruises or if you have a long day in Juneau- at least 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM or later, if you use Adventure Bound. If you think you will return to Alaska at some point, my recommendation would be to do Tracy Arm when offered since you can always do Mendenhall and other Juneau sights on another trip.

One final thing to consider is that access to all of these could be affected by weather / ice. It is best to book an itinerary with as many glacier viewing opportunities as possible to increase you chances in case one is cancelled.

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Tracy Arm is a long fjord with steep sides with glaciers at the North and South arms at the end. It is very different from Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier. All 3 are definitely worth seeing, but unique in their own way.

 

I would recommend researching posts with photos here and on other websites to get an idea of the differences. Then you can make an informed decision on what you would like to see.

 

Also consider that the Tracy Arm trip is generally only an option on Northbound cruises or if you have a long day in Juneau- at least 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM or later, if you use Adventure Bound. If you think you will return to Alaska at some point, my recommendation would be to do Tracy Arm when offered since you can always do Mendenhall and other Juneau sights on another trip.

 

One final thing to consider is that access to all of these could be affected by weather / ice. It is best to book an itinerary with as many glacier viewing opportunities as possible to increase you chances in case one is cancelled.

 

 

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Many thanks for your reply JT which is most helpful. Our ship arrives in Tracy Arm at 10am and leaves at 10.30am so I am assuming they just let passengers disembark for the boat excursion which takes them further into the fjord and up to Sawyer Glacier. Our cruise is in late June so I am hoping ice won't be a problem and I am trying to find out what time the onward transportation will arrive in Juneau as I am hoping to do something else when we get there.

I have only done Tracy Arm with Adventure Bound from Juneau, so I can't verify the return time for excursions from the ship. I will say that our trip to was about 10 hours total, so yours will probably be in the 6 - 8 hour range. That would put you in Juneau between 4 and 6.

Depending on how late you are in port, you may have time to do an evening whale watching trip or the Mt Roberts Tram. There should be plenty of daylight that time of year.

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If you can do small ship into Tracy Arm absolutely! While the NCL Jewel did go into the fjord it couldn't make it all the way due to ice congestion and we had to turn around just a few miles from the glacier so we never got to see it.

I have only done Tracy Arm with Adventure Bound from Juneau, so I can't verify the return time for excursions from the ship. I will say that our trip to was about 10 hours total, so yours will probably be in the 6 - 8 hour range. That would put you in Juneau between 4 and 6.

 

Depending on how late you are in port, you may have time to do an evening whale watching trip or the Mt Roberts Tram. There should be plenty of daylight that time of year.

 

 

 

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Thanks again JT. We are looking at doing a tour which begins in Juneau at 4.30pm so I know it could be very tight but it would be such a shame to miss out on a trip through Tracy Arm fjord.

I am pleased to see this thread as I have the same dilemma. There may be the option to do both but there is also a whale watching tour we are interested in and I know we won't be able to do all three.

 

It would appear our cruise ship stops for half hour at Tracy Arm which I assume is to allow passengers to transfer to another boat for a visit to Sawyer Glacier. Someone has mentioned a "small boat" tour so I will be interested to find out about that. Someone else mentioned Glacier Bay and, without knowing, it did seem to me that the excursion to Sawyer would be similar to the cruise through Glacier Bay. Would that be a fair assumption or are they very different.

 

Does anyone know please what time the transportation for The Tracy Arm/Sawyer Glacier excursion arrives back in Juneau. We are hoping to do another tour on arrival or take a trip out to the Mendenhall Glacier. Interesting to read that some people were somewhat underwhelmed by Mendenhall.

You will enjoy this photo heavy trip report from twins_to_Alaska. They did the small boat excursion to Tracy Arm off the Celebrity. I don't know which cruiseline you're on, but their experience will give you an idea of the timing . ( they also did a lake landing with Misty Fjords)

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2395708&page=3